MORTGAGE2: Illustration of a house made out of dollar bills. With Business story MORTGAGE. Bob Laird, USA TODAY. 25p1 x 5'' Color. JPEG document.

Written by

Contacting senior citizens over the phone isn’t the only method that seasonal scam artists use to bilk the elderly out of money, says Terry Grosselfinger, director of consumer protection for Rockland County. The thieves or “travelers” also show up unannounced at a senior homeowner’s doorstep, where the bamboozlers will offer home-improvement services for what they promise is “a bargain price.”

These “services” tend to focus on paving, plumbing, roofing, landscaping, black-topping, masonry, construction and electrical repair. The result is that the homeowners shell out hundreds — or even thousands — of dollars for shoddy repair and improvement work or, in most cases, no work at all.

Why is the age 65-plus crowd more susceptible to these evil deeds? “They’re overly trusting and tend to be home more often than younger people,” says Grosselfinger. “They also may have a bit more money and keep ready cash in their house.”

Be wary of any home improvement contractor who insists on cash upfront or checks made out to cash, and never let a worker pressure you into going to a bank to pick up cash to seal what seems like a too-good-to-be-true deal.

“These itinerant workers pressure you to let them do the job right then and there,” says Grosselfinger. “They claim, ‘We’ve got all the materials we need right here.’” Another popular door-step approach: “I see that your driveway isn’t in good shape. I happen to have blacktop leftover from a job I did down the street.” They then sweeten the pot with an enticing price. What happens next? They use slipshod workmanship and bad materials, and then they scram.

Just about anywhere in Rockland can be a target, says Grosselfinger, adding that “travelers” favor Clarkstown and Haverstraw.

Rockland County requires certain home improvement companies (electricians, plumbers, painter, landscapers, construction companies) to have licenses. Call the Rockland County Office of Consumer Protection at 845-708-7600 to see if the laborers are licensed by the county for their proposed work. The office may already have information on them.